In volume mailings, it is often desirable to produce individually addressed and marked envelopes. Large numbers of these envelopes may be produced in an average mailing, each of the envelopes requiring its own customized markings including address, date, postal presort and other requirements as well as bar coding for automatic processing.
In the past, processing of large number of individually marked envelopes has been accomplished by means of feeding either prefolded envelopes or precut unfolded blank sheets through a laser or other type of printer to add the necessary information. Then, the envelopes undergo final folding or finishing and subsequently, have the correct letters and other inserts added in a separate step. The address could alternatively be applied by means of ink jet or other similar printer once the envelope is completed and input to a letter inserting machine.
The disadvantage of the above described techniques is that each envelopes represents a loose sheet of paper, folded or otherwise, that must be tracked throughout the process. Misalignments or other losses of one or more of the sheets as the process progresses results in loss of the entire sequence for printing. If the sequence is lost, it becomes impossible to match each envelope to its proper position in the sequence. Thus, envelopes may become misaddressed or filled with the wrong letters, and, otherwise, may lose the proper zip code presort sequencing required by the post office in order to gain the advantage of lower presort rates.
If at some point in the process, foil or other decorative embossing is to be added to the envelopes, it may interfere with or become damaged by subsequent addressing and folding operations. Thus, proper sequencing and production becomes even more difficult owing to the need to subsequently emboss envelopes following addressing. This added step only serves to further raise the risk of sequencing loss.
Printing envelopes in connected form on a roll solves a number of potential sequencing problems. One previous attempt to produce envelopes from a roll of web has involved the production of a preprinted roll upon ordinary business form paper that is subsequently cut and formed into envelopes. Machines utilizing this method have only contemplated the use of business form presses to produce standardized envelopes prior to envelope forming.